Hot and Annoyed
by Xeen Cyr
Summary: Everybody needs a good sleep eventually
1. Chapter 1

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

Tag to "Take Down". Everyone needs a good rest.

**_HOT AND ANNOYED_**

-o-

She pushed the door to the Penny searching immediately for Sam Swarek. The general hubbub and the sudden change of temperature made her frown after her run from the barn. It had been a cold day and it was a chilly night. She had not bothered to change and she felt inquisitive looks undressing her on her way in. Sam was at the counter, nursing his usual glass of scotch. She strode through the room, high heels thumping on the hardwood floor. She stopped a foot away from him and simply stood there, unable to do anything else. Fortunately, Sam chose to ignore her trouble.

"Hey… McNally, you alone? Where is Callaghan?" He made a show of looking around. She could not even resent him for it, not tonight. "I thought you two were gone for good already," he insisted. "It's been a long day. Don't you need some rest?"

"As much as you do," she smirked, perching on the next stool. "Luke has yet to get some work done. He's behind because of our little undercover stunt," she said, her voice bitter.

"Told you that dating a detective was definitely not a walk in the park," he raised his glass and his right eyebrow rocketed to the roots of his hair. His mouth twitched when he tried to hide a smile.

She nodded, biting her lips. "Yep, I know. But…" she was hesitating, "but I thought that today it was going to be different." She shrugged. "Anyway." She waved at the bartender. "Same please." She leaned against the counter, facing Swarek who seemed lost in his thoughts again. "In the end, you were right, Sam," she finally blurted out, breaking their comfortable silence. "That was kind of fun."

"Told you," he flashed her his ten thousand watt smile. "Fear, adrenaline, dedication, that's a potent combination. It never gets old. And McNally, you were good, today. I knew you'd have my back."

"It was a close call."

"Yeah. But I'm alive, you're alive, we're alive. And we put those scumbags behind bars."

"That's a bonus," she smiled. "At least, this time I didn't totally screw up an operation."

He seemed surprised. "I thought we were past that. I was never mad at you Andy. That was your first day. You were fantastic out there. Busting me all by yourself? It takes a lot of guts."

"Can we move on please," she blushed, hiding behind a curtain of hair. She took a swig of her scotch and winced. "Sam, can I ask you something?"

He laced his fingers around his glass, titled his head and grinned. "Anything."

"What happened back there?"

"What?"

"I understand that it was all an act but why would you do that?"

Sam stared at her, managing to keep his façade on, but she could spot a sparkle in his eyes. He shook his head. "You lost me."

"I mean, we were supposed to pose as a couple but when you're undercover for less than two hours, well I mean…" she trailed. She glanced at him. He was clearly having a good time and had no intention of helping her out. "… why?"

"I told you they'll question you. You were ready for that, right? You little speech was perfect. Kudos. I believed it myself."

She felt her cheeks burning up. Yes, she sure went over the top with her explanation. "Not the speech, Sam, you know what I mean."

"Can't you just tell me and get it over with? Aren't we… _friends_?"

She shot him an exasperated glance. "Of course we're friends." She paused dramatically. "I guess I didn't expect you to kiss me," she said in a loud voice. Some patrons glanced in their direction.

"Part of the game McNally," he shrugged smugly. "I had to give them something to get their teeth into. This Angel guy was obviously into you…"

"Yep, noticed that."

"… so I thought that he'd lose some focus. I'm sorry, but I wasn't supposed to show up at our meet with my girlfriend unless we were tied to the hip."

She stared at her drink. "So it was not because you thought you'll end up dead?"

"Yep, that too," he smiled. "I guess that's why you kissed me back." She froze. She clasped her glass, chewing on her lower lip, eyebrows knitted. "Andy, that's okay. You don't have to feel guilty," he said softly, closing the distance between them. He cupped her chin in his hand, oblivious of the other patrons and made her look at him. "It's part of the job. Andy, it was just an act."

She felt like her heart was sinking to the bottom of her hooker boots. "I know."

Satisfied, he turned back to the counter and took a long swig.

"I… I need some air," she whispered, and took off without a look back. He threw a couple of bills on the counter and went after her. She was standing absolutely still in front of his truck. When she heard him, "Sam, could you give me a ride home?"

"Yeah, of course. You okay McNally?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she snapped, opening the door and settling in. She pulled on the strap and tried to buckle up but the strap seemed to have a life of its own. After her third attempt, she let go of it and her head dropped to her chest. Sam was doing his best to give her some space. One hand on the wheel and the other on his lap, he simply watched her crumble under stress. When she started to cry, he took her in his arms and rocked her gently. "It's okay, it's okay," he said softy. "You're gonna be okay."

She sniffed against his shirt and nuzzled into his neck. "I'm… I'm sorry, I'm making a fool of myself."

"Of course not," he smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry that Luke is not here for you. But, I'm your partner, I'm not going anywhere."

She looked up, her eyes red with unshed tears, her nose running. "Shut up," she said, her mouth covering his. His hands shot to her face, holding her gently. He licked her lips, the tip of his tongue moving slowly. Her heart beat faster and her breathing quickened. She felt a warm glow all through her body. His eyes were dark and intent. He tilted his head and sucked softly on her mouth, before deepening the kiss. Then he closed his eyes and slowly slipped his tongue inside her mouth, exploring further. She shuddered and clasped his back, pulling him closer. He moved back and smiled. "Hey," he teased her, kissing her neck. She moaned and tucked at his jacket.

"Hey, you're okay, Nally, wake up, you're having a bad dream." She opened her eyes, disoriented, gasping for air. Luke's face was only inches away. He pushed her damped hair away from her face and smiled. She was drenched in sweat, clamping her sheets. "You're so wound up. Relax, Andy, it's okay," he said again, stroking her arm. He kissed her forehead and lied down. "You go back to sleep now, I'm not going anywhere." He wrapped his arms around her and spoon hugged her. "Sleep tight," he sighed in her neck.


	2. Chapter 2

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

**_HOT AND ANNOYED_**

_Due to popular demand… Hope you like it ;) Thanks again guys for the massive support. You're awesome._

-o-

_PART 2_

"… and then Dex gave Leo a high five, there were so funny!" Traci smiled. She clipped two files together and stacked them onto the top of the pile.

"I kissed Sam," Andy said with a stern voice avoiding her friend's eyes.

"You what?" Traci exclaimed before glancing around. Dov looked at her from the bullpen, puzzled. He turned to Chris. Probably asking him if he knew something. Great, Dov was on to them for the rest of the day. She bent over her desk and whispered. "Again?"

"Calm down Trace, this time, it was just a dream," Andy shrugged. What happened when she was undercover with Sam at the Mermaid Lounge for the drug deal, that was sealed. She was not ready to come clean. Not yet. It was just make-believe anyway. She took a black manifold, opened it and did her best to look busy, "but it felt so real, you know. I guess it's not like I could control anything, really. I was asleep for god's sake."

"Okay, someone is a little edgy today."

"I barely slept last night," she confessed. "I was afraid to dream the same dream again. It's getting out of control Trace. I mean, most of the day I'm with the guy and when I'm not with him he's all I can dream about, I don't know what to do."

Traci raised an eyebrow. "Yep, that's not good. Maybe it's time to question where your loyalties lie."

"Trace, I care about Luke, we're great together."

"Okay." Traci made it clear that she was not buying it in the least.

"You've got to trust me, please, Trace, I need your help."

"I get it. You two are like this great poster couple. But you have to be a little more persuasive Andy, that sounds Luke-warm to me."

"Would you stop that!" Andy laughed, watching Dov and Chris. "I care about him, he cares about me. It's simple." They were definitely talking about her. Then she spotted Gail and felt instantly upset. She turned back to Traci, refusing to dwell on it.

"When did it start? Is it a new thing, your nightmares?"

Andy was not listening. "It was…" She paused, her eyes staring blankly at a spot on the wall. "Yeah, that was weird."

"What do you mean weird?"

"See, Luke woke me up and cuddled. That felt… weird. Like he doesn't belong. I guess I was still half asleep. But this kiss, it looked so real Trace..."

"Wait, it felt weird to be with Luke? What are you trying to say? You're moving in with him. You sure that's what you want?"

"Oh, yes, absolutely! Five hundred percent. He said that he wants to wake up everyday with me by his side. That's cute, huh?"

"Cute doesn't cut it. Is it what you really want Andy? I'm the last one you should probably ask for an advice given my current situation, but I have to give it a try for Leo. But what's your reason? You understand what you're getting into, right? Living with the guy that means commitment. You've got to be absolutely sure."

"I am. Totally sure."

Traci gave her a suspicious stare.

"Andy? Something you're not telling me?"

"He thought I was having a bad dream, you know, because of the undercover thing?"

"You didn't tell him about the dream, did you?"

"Of course not! You think I'm nuts? It's complicated enough as it is…" She sighed. "And now I have to cruise with Swarek all day," she flinched.

"He's your partner, you know. I hate to say, but maybe it's time to get your shit together."

"Like what?"

"You know exactly what I mean Andy McNally. We went through this again and again since the blackout. And I don't think that the frozen jar is working its magic."

Andy chuckled. "Nope, doesn't look that way." She was ready to take her shift and walking away when she changed her mind and turned back abruptly, dropping on the chair next to Traci Nash.

"What now?"

"Trace, I have to tell someone. I can't stop thinking about it."

"About the dream?"

"No, not the dream. I know why I had… the dream. Sam kissed me."

"Sam kissed you?" Trace ducked behind her monitor, looking around her to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. "When?"

"When we were undercover."

"So it was just an act, right?" she sounded relieved.

"I'm not sure. The problem is, Trace…" she hung her head and felt her cheek burning. "I kissed him back."

"You mean it was a real kiss?"

"Oh, yes, totally real. It was very sweet. I can still feel my toes curling inside my boots."

"But you're moving in with Luke nonetheless."

"Yes I am," she said, putting her happy face on.

"Stop that, you look like a wacko. Andy, there's only three things left you can do."

"Okay…"

"One. You ask for a transfer."

"Nope."

"Two. You confront Swarek."

"Not going to happen."

"If you want to sweep that under the proverbial rug for good, there's another option."

"Good, I'll take this one," Andy nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm not sure that you're going to like it but you've got to get Sam Swarek out of your system, right?"

"Absolutely!"

"Then, there's only one way to make it work. But I'm warning you, you'll have to stick your neck out."

"I'm ready, shoot."

"You must have sex with him. The sooner, the better."

"Traci! I can't do that!" she yelped. Traci's face changed. She was looking at her and above her right shoulder and back and looking weird. A very familiar voice coming her way brought her back to reality.

"McNally, listen to your friend. If she tells you to do something, you do it. You gotta trust your friends! Simple, right?" He stopped by her side, laughing. He watched the two young women decompose. It was going to be another interesting day, he thought. "You ready?" his mocking voice was steady. "See you at the car in five."


	3. Chapter 3

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**HOT AND ANNOYED**_

_Thanks again guys for the massive support. You're awesome._

-o-

PART 3

Swarek kept on walking with a smile on his face wondering what the fuss was all about. Andy had looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights and he had never seen Nash that embarrassed before in front of anyone. Not even Jerry. And their story was way more complicated than his and his rookie. Too bad he had missed the "big thing" McNally was supposed to do though. But how bad could it be anyway? He had had to stop to talk to Boyd after parade, otherwise he could have caught them right in the middle of their girls' talk. He shook his head. She was so cute when she turned on the awkward.

"Hey Mister Big Shot! Back to our tedious routine, huh?" Shaw teased him on his way out.

"Hey, someone's got to do the job!" he cheered, clapping his friend's back.

"Seriously, you don't want to follow up the interrogation?"

"Boyd asked me if I was interested, but I declined. I much prefer cruising the streets today. It was a close call yesterday, I need some fresh air, clear head. You? Planning to keep on torturing your ex-rookie?"

"Sent Epstein to the hospital. Keep watch on Diaz."

"Really?"

"He had a bad day yesterday, I want to cut him some slack. He deserves it," Ollie trailed.

"Wow, man! What did you have for breakfast, you're going soft."

"Whatever you say Sammy."

Swarek chuckled and walked away.

"Hey Sammy, before you take off, Noelle wants to have a word with you."

"Noelle?" He gave his friend a puzzled look. "About what?"

"She didn't say. Except that it's serious."

"Where is she?"

"In the locker room, I guess."

Sam waited patiently outside until Noelle finally showed up. "Sam, Ollie told you? We got to talk."

"Why so serious?" Sam joked.

"Sam, I think you should know what happened yesterday."

"What? We got the bad guys, one scumbag was shot. End of story."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"Go ahead."

"Walk with me, I don't want anyone to hear what I've got to say."

They found a secluded spot outside the station and Noelle crossed her arms on her chest, pondering what to say.

"What is it? Is it that bad?" Now it was Sam's turn to be concerned.

"You know that Callaghan cruised with me and Boyd last night, right?" she said, her voice even.

"Yep, absolutely. I guess he wanted to make sure that he had his girlfriend's back."

She flinched and shot him an admonishing glance. "His girlfriend? Sam, she was an officer engaged in a dangerous undercover operation. Not his girlfriend."

"My bad, sorry. Don't go all feminist on me!"

She kept a stern face. "When you got out with Angel, I told them we couldn't leave McNally in there even if the deal had changed."

"Okay." That's exactly what he had expected in the first place. He placed himself on the line to give them some leeway to rescue her.

"That was Boyd's prerogative to call the shots. He decided to stay put and wait as long as the deal was pending. He didn't want to blow the operation, I guess."

She watched Sam's face change from carefree to tense. "So Callaghan put his foot in it and got her out of there?" he asked, clenching his jaw.

"He said that he trusted her to stay safe. That she knew what she was doing."

"You mean they left her in there alone with that little punk after I left with Angel?"

"You must understand that we had no way to know whether Ricky was the only one in there with her? But I would have chosen differently. She was fair game."

"You bet she was," he said a bit too loud. He threw his arms in the air. "What were they trying to accomplish? They could have got her killed."

She sighed, looking down. "That's not all. She's the one who found out that Landry was in Toronto and that you were going to be made out the minute you meet Bergen. So she had a little talk with that Ricky character and when he resisted, she simply left the Mermaid Lounge at gun point. She wanted to get the word out that Landry was at the meet. She saved your ass Sam. There was no way we could have known that you were walking into a trap. As far as Boyd was concerned, the deal was still on."

"What about my tail?"

"That was one car. Without McNally, I wouldn't be talking to you now."

"Thanks to Boyd." Even if he understood the logic of his decision, he was infuriated.

"And Callaghan," added Noelle. She took a deep breath. "Sam, I have no idea how you managed to work with that kind of guys for over a year. I don't want to be anything like them. Ever."

"Thanks Noelle, I owe you one."

"Anytime," she smiled. "Huh, Sam, I didn't tell you anything right?"

"Sure."

She nodded and turned around before changing her mind. "And Sam, I know you don't need my advice, but whatever it is that you've got going with your rookie, well you know... She's a great cop, and I'd hate to see her hurt."

He nodded back. "Me too," he said, "and, Noelle? You know what? She's not a rookie any more," he winked, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

He stood there for a while after she was gone. Finally, he snapped out of his thoughts and jogged to the parking lot. McNally was waiting for him, leaning on the hood with her big bag at her feet.

"That's about time, I'm freezing," she said with the most brilliant smile.

It took his breath away. How could Callaghan put her in harm's way on purpose? He was going to be sorry. But later. Now McNally was his for the rest of the day. "Good!"

"What? I'm telling you that I'm freezing and you think it's funny? Where have you been? I've been waiting for you like forever!" she protested half-heartedly.

Welcome to my world, Sam thought. "What I meant was if you're so cold, we have no other choice but to have breakfast in a warmer place? What do you think? Is that a good idea or what?" he cheered.

"I could use some hot coffee and a bagel."

"Bagel it is!"

He watched her throw her gear on the back seat and took the wheel. "Any favourite place?"

"Nope, your call."

"Okay, let's get that show on the road."


	4. Chapter 4

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**HOT AND ANNOYED**_

_I can't even begin to thank again guys for the massive support. You're awesome :)  
_

-o-

PART 4

This morning, Sam Swarek followed his usual MO. He parked early at the station, changed, exchanged a few words with his fellow officers, met with Best and Boyd for a quick debrief. Then he perched on his desk, watching McNally going to the women's locker room from a distance and then back to the bullpen. She waved sheepishly in his direction and resumed her conversation with her friends. Like every morning, he revelled in her slim figure when she listened to Best's speech of the day during parade, choosing to ignore Shaw's intent glare the way he was used to. When he teased her before their shift, like he always did, he did not anticipate the revelations that Noelle Williams had in store for him. His first reaction was to confront Callaghan for endangering the life of his partner. Strike that. His first reaction was to find the son of a bitch and kick the shit out of him once and for all. After all, if it was not for him, McNally and Mr Homicide would be on a permanent break and it was his duty to put an end to their arrangement. Then he realized that he had to find out first what really happened at the Mermaid Lounge after he left. He had a pretty good idea. McNally was fearless, and she probably put herself on the line without a second thought to keep him out of harm's way. But will she be willing to confide in him? He winced, mulling over his possible approach. She probably will, he thought, tearing his eyes from the road to glance at her cute profile while she was checking the roster.

If anything, he had tried to be supportive of her relationship with the detective and now was not the time to waver. _If she's happy with Skywalker, so be it. _Last night, lying down on his couch, even though he knew it was a stupid thing to do, he had played again and again in his head their act before Angel, the cuddling, stroking, the touching of hands. He knew that he had pushed the charade a little bit too far, but he could not help it. That was who he was. He could not pass on kissing her one last time before getting killed. And to his surprise, she had been eager to participate. It had felt so natural, that it made him ache. He still could feel her fingers brush his mouth when she wiped casually her lipstick off his face. How could she possibly make it so incredibly believable when every time she had tried to lie before it had been a complete fiasco? He doubted that his little speech in the locker room was the only reason. He was not a magician. Or maybe this time, the stakes were so high that she managed to pull it of. He could not help thinking that there was something more. After all, Jerry mentioned the hooker detail as ground for a no-no and rubbed it in again. He simply could not set aside the fact that she could not fake for one second being a hooker. But like she said, it was not difficult to pretend she was his girlfriend. Hey, when Angel interrogated her, he had believed every word she said. He practically lost focus at some point. Not only that was thought for the soul but they will have to talk about it, one way or the other or the sexual tension would simply screw their chances to stay partners. Hey, after all, she was the one who said that she was tired of faking her life.

He pushed the door to the diner and she went past him with a genuine smile on her face. He guided her to a booth with his hand on the small of her back. They settled down and she let out a sigh of satisfaction. "This is so great! Why don't we do that more often?" she said, taking off her gloves. Her cheeks were still red from her chilly wait on the parking lot and her eyes were sparkling. He realized that he was staring and managed reluctantly to snap out of it. "I can't believe we never had breakfast together!" she continued before gasping for air and going beet red. "I mean, we've been partners for almost a year…"

"… and it never happened. You're right. I have no idea," he smiled back, "but you're right, we should do this more often."

She nodded, happy to see that he was not in a teasing mood.

"In fact, we should have asked Best for a day off. We deserve it," he said and sat down facing her.

"I don't mind working, as long as I'm with you," she blurted out. Her eyes went wide and she flushed again. He grinned. "I mean… oh god! You know what I mean!"

The waitress put her out of her misery and took their order. How come when she was around Swarek, she found herself uttering the worst stupid double entendres? She took a sip of her coffee, staring above the rim of her cup. She could see that Sam was worried and tiptoeing around something.

"Go ahead, shoot," she said.

"What?" He took a piece of bagel to his mouth and tilted his head.

"I mean I can see that you want to ask me something, so go ahead, ask me."

"Right." He cleared his throat and looked at her. That was going to be tough. He did not want to raise her suspicions. He did not want to be a jerk either. Better start with the basics then.

"McNally, as much as I appreciate our little Harry meets Sally routine, I want to apologize for what I told you yesterday. That was uncalled for."

"What?" she shot him a quizzical glace and frowned.

"Obviously, Callaghan is more than your colleague with benefits. He cares about you, you care about him, the whole shebang, I get that. I guess I'm biased because I'm your partner," he grinned. She grinned back. "Like I said, Callaghan is a solid cop."

"We're moving in together." Her eyes locked with his but he managed to keep his poker face on.

"That was fast," he said in a low monotone. "Well, good for you," he cheered, barely concealing a bitter smirk. _This conversation is getting out of hand. I have to rewind_. "Have you had the chance to talk to him about what happened yesterday?"

"Nope. He gave me a ride to my place and went back to the barn to catch up on his case. I was asleep when he came back home."

Home. He did not know how much more details of her intimate relationship with Callaghan he could bear to learn. If the guy was more interested in his investigation than in her, he was an idiot. "Okay, because _we_," he waved his hand, "haven't had the chance to discuss it either. Tell me everything. What happened after I left?"

"Nothing much really," she looked down, embarrassed. "I had a little talk with our friend Rick and when he told me that Landry was in town, I figured you'll be in danger the minute you walk in to make the buy." She was speaking really fast but it was nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that she avoided looking at him though, that was an entirely different matter. "So I got the word out to the surveillance team. Your tail was no match for them, they couldn't have protected you in time, you would… I mean, I wanted to make sure that you weren't going to be killed."

"And that's it?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Pretty much."

"You're not trying to hide anything from me, McNally, right? Like how the hell you managed to pull that off for instance. I mean that Rick character was probably new to this but he had a gun."

She shrugged. "He was new, but it was not my first day. I assessed the risks, made a judgment call and I was right. I had to keep you safe."

"McNally, I'm glad you had my back but you could have been killed too."

"Well didn't happen, can we move on now?" She began to wiggle on her seat.

"No, we can't. You should have stayed put. That's exactly what I told you before leaving, remember? That I had your back? That was the plan. The tail had my back."

"And Boyd and Callaghan had mine."

"You weren't supposed to go on a reckless rescue mission for my benefit. McNally, if my arm didn't hurt so much from pinching right now, I'd think I'm still asleep and stuck in a nightmare. I can't believe you did that."

"I did what I had to do!" she said, her eyes welling up with angry tears. "So that's how it's going to be? You can't let that go either, can you? So what is it this time? Are you going to yell at me? Really? And I was so thinking that we were good." She shook her head, looking pissed. He tried to place a soothing hand on hers but she jerked it away from his grasp. Her mouth twitched. "This was not supposed to be a suicide mission. Not for you. Not for me. Okay? What do you want me to say? That I don't understand why Boyd and Luke sat on their hands waiting to see us both killed for the sake of their precious operation? I get it Sam. Guilty as charged! At the time, I couldn't think of another way to save your ass. You happy?"

He watched helplessly the tears roll down her cheeks. She wiped them angrily with her sleeve and stared at him fiercely. "What is it that you want me to say?"

There was no way he could stay there watching her take the blame for doing things the way they should. Callaghan was going to be sorry for what he had done, well not done, to her. He got up briskly and went to sit beside her. "Come on, scoot, give me some room. Andy, I'm sorry, I'm so proud of you. Of course I'm not mad at you, for heaven's sake. Like you said, you saved my ass yesterday. You were awesome. We were awesome," she look up at him and giggled, "that's okay, calm down." He put his arm around her and hugged her. Her head nestled against his shoulder and his chin fell naturally on top of her head.

"How did you find out?" she finally asked.

"Find out what?"

She gave him a light punch.

"Ouch. Really McNally I have not idea what you're talking about. If you're finished," he added, untangling reluctantly from her, "we better go and get some work done!"


	5. Chapter 5

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**HOT AND ANNOYED**_

_I take it that some of you were not happy with the previous part, so I give you this. I promise to write more later ;)_

-o-

PART 5

_Be a willow Andy. Bend some rules._

If she had learned something during these past months riding with Sam Swarek, now was the time to put it to the test. Traci was right. She had to get Sam out of her system and sleeping together would be the fastest way to get it done. Their close encounter during their unusual breakfast minutes before had awakened a torrent of contradictory feelings and a turmoil inside her chest. Nothing would put it out without her stepping outside the steady path she had tried to follow.

Before she had the chance to say it out loud, she was already conflicted about the way Luke handled the situation the night before. If he intended to protect her, he did not achieve anything really. Worse, in her mind's eye, he proved that his career mattered a lot more than her life, -than Sam's life. Partners always have their back that was the cardinal rule. Maybe they were not meant to be partners in life. Maybe she was tired of faking because being with the golden boy of the 15 Division, the one with the perfect record, the charming, handsome detective was all pretence and wishful thinking. Maybe he loved her in his own way. Maybe they could be good to each other but she would always keep in the back of her mind the memory of this night, when she was undercover and he had let down, -big time.

She fiddled with the radio, studying the strong profile of her partner while he was driving smoothly through traffic. He was his usual self, serious, silent, reliable... When she lost her temper, he was there for her, considerate and reassuring, never doubting her. Like he said, he was his partner, and as such, she was rewarded by his unconditional trust. That was a totally different matter with Luke. Deep down, she knew he did not trust her, he had said that much the day before. She did not even know where they stood today after she blurted out that she was having second thoughts about living together. She was responsible for their unbalanced relationship, after all, she was the one lying. She sighed and sat back in her seat, her eyes locked on the sidewalk.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine," she snapped.

"Yeah, I can hear that. Spill it out Andy. You're only making yourself miserable here. Working undercover can prove to take a toll on your nerves. That's to be expected. That's why we must stick together on that one. If you're bothered, I'm bothered. Okay?"

She nodded miserably. He had no clue why she was such a wreck today. He blamed it on their mission. Swallowing her pride, she turned to him and took a deep breath. "Sam, this is not working."

"Huh?"

"This thing we have, being partners and pretending that everything is okay between us, it's not working."

He looked puzzled. "You want a transfer?"

She nodded frantically, gasping for air. "No, of course not!"

"Is it something I said?"

"No, Sam, it's not. It's me. You don't have to put up with my crap."

"Andy, you're tired, I get it. We're having a slow day, and there's no reason we can't keep it that way. Listen, take a few days off and you'll be as good as new."

"You don't understand. It has nothing to do with work. I mean, maybe a little. My life is a mess and I…"

"But I thought that your affair with Callaghan was going great," he pushed, "aren't you two moving in together? That's a big step, Andy, maybe that's why you're upset." He patted her hand and smiled gently.

"Would you shut up please!"

"Excuse me?" He turned his eyes back to the road and avoided a car at the last minute. He cursed between his teeth. The tyres screeched. He managed to steady the cruiser and slowed it down almost to a stop. "Andy, is it this time of the month, you know?"

"I'm sorry," she frowned and sucked on her lower lip, "I mean, would you let me speak without interrupting me every five seconds?" she pleaded.

"I'm not sure I'm quite ready with giving you advice on your love life Andy."

Her eyes went wide. "I don't want to have a conversation about Luke or about work or about last night. It's complicated enough as it is."

"Okay. I'm listening." He placed his hands on the wheel and looked ahead.

"Okay. Sam, I want to talk about us."

"Us?" He clenched the wheel and looked at her, one eyebrow raised to the root of his hair. "What is there to talk about? I thought we were friends?"

She moaned in despair. "Can't you stay silent for one minute? And you're the one who says that I'm allergic to silence. Oh god. Forget it. I'm making a fool of myself. It's a mistake. I shouldn't have listened to Trace," she mumbled. "Forget it," she said again. She folded her arms on her chest and closed her eyes.

"So, that's it," he exploded. "Now that you got me worried, you're going to give me the silent treatment?" He gave the wheel a sharp turn, pulling the emergency break at the same time. The car skidded and squealed before going to a halt in a back alley. "McNally, you better talk now, because we're not going anywhere."


	6. Chapter 6

ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)

_**HOT AND ANNOYED**_

_I'm so__rry it took me so long to update the story, but here you go. I hope you enjoy reading it! Thanks again for the great support _

-o-

PART 6

"McNally, you better talk now, because we're not going anywhere. What is it that you can't do? I overheard you this morning when you were at the desk with Nash." He scoffed. "As a matter of fact, everyone at the 15 heard you, you were practically yelling!"

"You were… eavesdropping?" She stared at him mortified. "What did you hear exactly?"

"McNally, don't be so dramatic, I wouldn't think of eavesdropping and I didn't hear anything, except that you can't. Can't what? If that makes you so miserable, let me help you. I'm your partner. It supersedes being your best friend…" She looked down, red creeping on her face, "… or at least I would say that we're on an equal footing with Nash," he added confused by her reaction.

She was staring at her hands, at the wire dangling from the radio, at a thread on her jacket. _Think_. She had to feed him with something, anything that would be as foreign as possible from what she was really after. She was juggling with something Traci told her after Luke discovered she had kept Sam on ice.

"_You keep seeing your situation as a triangle... you, Luke, and Swarek. But it isn't, really... at least not yet. For the time being, Swarek's a variable. You have to focus. Luke's a given, just figure out what you want to do about your TO and you'll be fine. Once you do that, homicide Luke's value will become obvious. It's all relative, you know. Think hard before jeopardizing what you've got. Are you sure that Sam Swarek is what you want Andy? This is a big mistake." _

Yes, yes, it was probably a big mistake, of that, she was absolutely sure. She had been attracted to Swarek like a butterfly to the light since their first day together on the job. There were so many reasons why she rejected him, come to think of it, none of them relevant. Her relationship with Luke was everything a girl could hope for, and still she felt that she deserved better. Being with him because it was safe, it was getting old. She felt so tired and conflicted. That was not right. When you are with someone, you must feel happy. She was, but not that kind of happiness that makes your heart jump in your chest. This whole situation was blowing out of proportion by her own fault. She did not even know why she said yes to living together. The house was cool, sort of, and the view. And they just had sex and he manipulated her into saying yes. She seemed so willing to take the wrong turn, - always.

Maybe Luke was every father's dream of the best groom, but he was not right for her. They disagreed on almost everything, not in a good way. The way he envisioned life was dry and dispassionate, something that can prove quite handy if you are a detective. But she needed desperately to infuse some passion in her life. She was not even thirty for god's sake! Why did she even fall for the guy in the first place? If she was being completely honest, she did because of his good looks and probably because he was so different from her previous boyfriends. Technically, she merely wanted to get as far away as Swarek as possible. He was trouble.

Luke made it easy for her to decide. He asked her out for a drink, he asked her to his cabin, moving in together was only the next step. He followed the rules of dating. But Sam had no rules, and dating her was probably never his agenda. He never asked anything, he was here for her, every single time. She knew she could rely on him, always.

It was still time to change her mind: moving in with someone that was a big step forward into the unknown. Nothing was set in stone, after all, her relationship with Callaghan was based on lies. That did not mean that she wanted to be with Sam either. After all, she did not even know where she stood with him, she only knew that she wanted him as much as he, that part was obvious. She looked down at her hands and found out that she was kneading her thighs and ruining her uniform in the process. She must look like a total idiot.

"Earth to McNally…" She turned to him. He was doing his best to keep his cool, but he was tense. "Andy, listen to me. There's nothing you can't do. I've seen how far you've come since you tackled me in that alley. If you put your mind to it, if there's one thing I know about you, you can do anything."

Her eyes went back to her lap. "Fake it till you make it," she whispered.

"Huh?" He tilted his head, puzzled. "What is it supposed to mean?"

She darted her eyes in his direction and back to her hands. "Nothing. Just something we came up with Traci. Fake it until you make it," she said again louder.

"Like I said, you don't have to fake any more."

Oblivious of what he was trying to convey to her, she nodded obediently. "I know. But it's hard."

"It gets easier, I promise." He stared at her, his face reflecting conflicted emotions. "Andy, did he propose? Is it what it's all about?" His voice was hard.

"No," she protested. "No, he didn't!"

"So that's not what you can't do," he said softly. He sounded relieved.

"No, it's not." She shook her head. "It's complicated. You know Sam, since my mother left, I made a lot of bad decisions, made a lot of mistakes, I always chose the wrong guy. Every single time. Always did. But at least, I never tried to fake anything before being with Luke. I'm afraid that... I mean, I lied to him."

"We already had this conversation McNally, you lied to protect him, no big deal, happens all the time." And he had made sure that her story stick, he thought. "I can tell you the same thing over and over." He paused, took a deep breath, pondering what to say next. _What the hell_. "If it's such a big deal, why don't you come clean? Let him decide for himself?"

Her eyes went wide. He seemed serious. She felt panic surging back. "You think?" she mumbled.

He cursed between his teeth and sighed heavily. "Of course not Andy. It was just a figure of speech. For crying out loud, are you even listening to yourself? You want to tell your boyfriend that, instead of calling him for help, you walked all the way to my place in the middle of the night to have sex while he was at a crime scene? I'm sure that Nash advised you against it… I mean, that is if you want to stay with him." He stared at her, waiting for a reaction. He finally sighed. "It was an easy decision, McNally, kiss and don't tell."

She simply nodded. "Can we talk about this later?"

"About your love life?" he chuckled, "I don't think so. I may be your friend but…"

"Okay. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… Forget it, I feel so stupid. But this is so… Sam, I don't know. You're a guy, what should I do?"

Resisting to tease her, he stayed silent for a moment. "You should make an educated decision McNally," he finally said. His jaw twitched. "If you tell him what happened, he won't forgive you. Not this time. Andy, I have to be honest with you, I kind of lied too."

"What?" She turned to him. She could see that he was pissed at himself for having said too much.

"Don't be mad at me okay," he said cautiously. "I wanted to make things right for you. After we went back from Sudbury, I had a little talk with him. Told him that nothing happened between us that night, that I tried and that you shot me down."

"Oh…" She could not get her eyes off his face now. "Is that all?"

He shook his head and locked his eyes on hers. "That you are crazy about him," he finally blurted out. "At the time, I couldn't think of a better way of getting you guys back together."

She could see that his eyes were telling an entirely different story. "Why?"

His jaws clenched. He threw his arms in the air and made a face. "Because I like you, okay? You happy now?"

She stayed silent for a moment while Sam was watching her. "I like you too."

"I know that," he said with a distant voice. "We're friends."

"Please, don't do that. It's unfair."

"Listen lady, I tried my best to smooth things between you two…"

"Why?" she said again.

"Because I want you to be happy. You're my partner."

"Would you stop for one minute being a stubborn imbecile!"

"Excuse me?"

"Why would you that? We broke up. Period. It happens. It was not the end of the world. And it was not because of you. It was because of me. After all, I knew what I was doing when I went to your place, I'm a big girl." She shook her head. "Sam, why didn't you call me?"

"Call you?"

"When I was on leave. That's a whole week. Seven days. I was expecting to hear from you. Why didn't you call?"

"I… I don't know," he shrugged. "To give you some time to think. I didn't know how you'd feel about it. I wasn't sure that you wanted me to call you. I figured that if I didn't do anything, maybe you'd give me another chance. And then you went to his cabin," he said in a subdued voice.

She frowned. "Luke told me that you were okay with it," she snapped.

"He said it was your idea," he said, raising his voice.

"My idea?" she yelped. "A two hour drive to Simcoe on a week day, are you insane? You're a guy, don't you understand he just wanted to impress me?"

"You didn't want to go?"

"Of course not! I wanted to talk to you about what happened between us and why you didn't call. I thought that you were mad at me because I stood you up."

"I guess I messed up then, I'm sorry I beat him up to a pulp," he grinned. "That was stupid."

"Yeah," she smiled back. "I was pretty stupid. I just wish I didn't love that you did. That's why I was so pissed at you."

"I kind of did it to piss you off."

"That's why I went to his cabin."

They paused, each one lost in their own thoughts.

"So are you going to move in with him?" he finally asked, getting the car back in gear.

"I don't know."

"Fair enough. Now that we've gotten that part out of the way, what is it that you can't do, McNally?" he asked, glancing to his left before pulling the car back into traffic.


End file.
